Nanami Chiaki: Expert Relationship Advice Giver
by Flynt Coal
Summary: (KomaHina) Hinata goes to Nanami for help with his crush on Komaeda. Probably a bad idea. Heheh. Enjoy!


Chiaki picked up on the fifth ring, which probably meant she was in the midst of gaming, and this gave Hinata plenty of time to regret the call in the first place. There wasn't really anyone else who he could ask about this, though.

"...Hello?" a light, tired voice came through the phone, along with background music from some game's pause menu. Even though she was Hinata's best friend and the majority of the conversations with her were about something she recently played, he honestly couldn't keep up and memorize all the varying video games Chiaki brought up, so clearly, he could never recognize what the hell she was playing. Now was no exception.

It was probably best to get to the point. "Nanami… I need your help with something. Something… sorta secret." Hinata mumbled, knowing getting across that this wasn't anything to be discussed to others held overall the same importance of telling what it was.

The other end of the call sighed. "...Are you planning on setting Naegi-kun's ahoge on fire again? I told you that was a bad idea…"

Hinata scowled at the words. "I thought you promised not to talk about that ever again..."

While Chiaki giggled softly, a sound signaled that video game was back on. "...what do you need, then?" The brunette frowned, as usually someone isn't paying much attention to a conversation while gaming, despite that this was Chiaki, who multitasked between doing both quite well.

"I… ah, see… I have… a bit of a… well, a crush." The words were reluctant to be admitted, but Hinata managed to awkwardly tumble them out. A pause followed after, as if Chiaki didn't hear.

As he was about to make sure she did, the reply came. "...and you came to me for help with it." The male sheepishly conceded that it was a poor idea on his part, asking an intense gamer who is skilled at an extensive range of means, yet specifically excluding relationships. Even Hinata had managed to succeed at a dating sim before she did, and he was downright awful at the thing. Now that he thought about it, this may have been the worst person available to ask.

He frustratedly answered that he could still use her advice, nonetheless. What came next, however, was completely unexpected.

"Is it Komaeda-kun?"

Hinata jumped at the sound of the name, resulting in his phone dropping. As he scrambled to scoop it up, he stared in wonder. How the hell did she nail it that easily? The lack of a response and the sound of the phone hitting the floor translated to Chiaki as a yes. She smiled, "...You've made it truly obvious, you know."

After collecting himself, the boy on the other end breathed hastily. He turned to his side, and glanced at a picture frame on the side table before him. The picture contained none other than him and Komaeda, who had gone to the fair. There were many pictures of the two out doing things typical friends do, but this one always granted him a smile, because in this Komaeda's arm was around Hinata's shoulder. the brown-haired boy secretly wished it could happen again.

"...Hinata-kun?" He snapped out of his daydream, and realized he was having a conversation. "Uhh, right… Ko...maeda…" Truth be told, it was difficult to simply say his name without blushing profusely. Another memory sprung into mind, back when the pair strolled to the beach, and Komaeda insisted upon making sandcastles. At first, Hinata thought it was awfully childish, but it was revealed that the strange white-haired male never really had a normal childhood, and thus never had to opportunity to do a lot of playing. Hinata had looked at him with an expression of empathy, and decided to help him enjoy what he'd missed out on-

"...Hinata-kun, if you're busy, we can talk later." Right, conversation again. To think Hinata was worried Chiaki would be the one not focusing. "Okay, how can you help?"

"Have you tried pick-up lines?" She giggled, despite Hinata's growing impatience. "I'm being serious here."

"Fine...um, you could ask him to come with you for coffee… I think." It was better than what Hinata had, to be fair.

So Hinata decided to ask him out to get a coffee. This particular summer day was warm and soothing, which was pretty much perfect. The target sat on a bench, and Hinata decided to try it. To go up to Komaeda and simply ask him if he wants to grab a coffee. Easy peasy. Nothing to it.

As Hinata approached, a brisk wind swept at Komaeda's waves of hair, blowing them this way and that, idly. This alone put butterflies in Hinata's stomach, but he knew not to give in yet. Eventually he was close enough for the other to take notice of him. The second the white-haired male turned to him, conveying a painfully carefree and elated grin, with wide, wondrous eyes brimmed with joy and tranquility, it was a miracle Hinata didn't faint immediately.

"Ah… good afternoon, Hinata-kun! Isn't it a lovely day? Everyone seems happy and cheerful, and the way they express hope is a nice sight…" In all honesty, Hinata didn't quite register the words, as he was pretty much dumbstruck just from the sound of them, threaded along through the sound of the voice he admired so strongly. How, whether it was a stunningly beautiful, enjoyable day, or the worst nightmare imaginable, his upbeat attitude and tone was set in stone.

Now of course, Hinata's words (which he had even rehearsed) came out in an awkward, barely audible mess. "I...uh, I mean, um, would you… I… uh…" Hinata groaned in annoyance, knowing he could figure it out which the other sat patiently and listened for words to form.

The brunette scratched the back of his neck, attempting to sort out all this disarray. "Would you… that is, do you want to come and, uh, get a… um… coffee? Or something?" Hinata almost wished he declined, so he would be spared of this, even if he would hate himself for messing it up later. However, this just made Komaeda even more ecstatic, and accepted instantly. Ignoring his exploding heartbeat rate that would make an exercise coach shocked, Hinata stumbled alongside his crush.

At the coffee shop, they easily chatted and laughed. This wasn't hard for Hinata, as he was used to doing friendship-related activities such as this with Komaeda, it was just that everything related to a relationship made him sweat, stumble and feel dizzy. He slowly noticed he didn't know where to go from there. Whenever he summoned the courage to say something, he would see those ashy, oblivious crystal grey eyes, and no trace of that courage remained.

Needless to say, plan failed.

It was the next day. Chiaki had instructed him to get Komaeda some flowers, which seemed awfully cheesy and cliche, but sooner or later he agreed to do just that. He located the other in the park again, now reading through a textbook. Hinata hesitantly looked at the orange petals, and figured it was worth a shot.

It took a little longer for Komaeda to look up, and during this time Hinata reconsidered the option of running away. Once Komaeda's eyes flickered up, they sparked with happiness. "Hello again, Hinata-kun!" Not trusting his words this time, he decided on using as little as he can. "Here." he muttered, thrusting the bouquet forward. The other boy blinked in surprise, and gazed at the flowers in wonder, until his smile shortened a little. "Those are calendula flowers, Hinata-kun." Komaeda giggled slightly. Only now Hinata remembered that Komaeda had accidentally been put in a botany course this semester, so of course he would know. Said botany student grinned worriedly before explaining that calendula flowers represented wish sorrow, grief and despair. Hinata mentally kicked himself.

Even though Komaeda accepted the bouquet anyways, Hinata knew he had failed nonetheless. There was always tomorrow, he supposed.

Hinata was growing impatient a few days later. Yesterday him and Komaeda went to a movie, which of course didn't result in anything more than friendly friendship between friendly friends. Anxiously he clicked Chiaki's number with little attention. "Nanami, none of your ideas are working. I don't think I'll ever get Komaeda to know at this point."

"...I have one more idea, if you want to hear it." Her tone was one he would usually be skeptical of, but he was low on choices here.

"Sure. Fine. What is it?"

A sound of shuffling, and some whispering. Now Hinata was certainly suspicious. A dry voice that certainly didn't belong to Chiaki spoke up. "Hello? Hinata-kun? Nanami-san said you had something important to tell me!" A carefree, ecstatic person answered. A person who basically melted at the sound of the charming voice.

"Hinata-kun?"

"Uh… um, h-hi, Komaeda… I just, uh…"

Hinata put "Kill Nanami" on his mental to-do list.

"Take your time, Hinata-kun. I don't mind." That just made matters worse.

"...uuuh. You see, I… well." This was certainly not going awkwardly at all.

Komaeda just sat and listened patiently. It was bound to come sooner or later. "You, uh, might not like hearing it, though…" At least he had the relief of Komaeda not seeing how red his face was getting.

"I don't mind at all! You really don't need to worry about me."

"I…" He sighed slowly in preparation. Here it goes. "I… sooooorta...kind of...in a way… uh… maybe… like you… I mean, I…" It's too late now. "I, yeah, I have some feelings for… you. But it isn't importance, see…"

There was a knock at the door, almost the instant he finished his chopped up excuse of a sentence. Stumbling to it, he slowly widened it, not sure what he was expecting.

What he definitely didn't expect was Komaeda tackling him to the floor the second the door opened, giggling like an idiot.

As Hinata began to pick himself up, Komaeda took the opportunity to swifty embrace the confused other.

Despite all the bewilderment and shock, no negative feelings arrived to either of them. Komaeda glanced up, their eyes meeting, both understanding one another's situation.

"I… liked you too, Hinata-kun. I didn't think you would even slightly consider such a thing with trash like myself, so I kept it to myself…"

Hinata weaved his hand along the cloudy white fluff of hair, feeling fulfilled now that he knew how it felt, flying peacefully along his fingers like fresh snow. "You aren't trash, Komaeda." He muttered. Hinata probably told him that seventy times a day.

"I can be your trash, Hinata-kun." Komaeda raised himself until their heads were at eyes level, and neither could resist the pull, as if each other's lips were magnets.

Nanami peered through the doorway, looking rather satisfied at the results of her meddling. She allowed herself to smile at Hinata, who happened to look up for a moment, before taking her leave. Mission success.

Maybe she wasn't that bad at relationships, or maybe she was just lucky this once.


End file.
